EXPLORE: A GHOST SUBWAY STATION – CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
By Jim Cutler
Abandoned Old NYC City Hall Subway Station
Fifteen of us explored a ghost NYC subway station that’s been closed to the public since 1945. From 1904, millions of people traveled from here until it was closed 68 years ago. My family recently joined the NYC MTA Transit Museum. They allow a very small group to tour this “Jewel In the Crown”, the closed Old City Hall Subway Station. It’s located directly below Old City Hall, not far from the current City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge station. The old station’s _curved_platform is unusual but accommodated the original shorter subway cars of 1904. By the 1940’s the curved platform presented a huge problem for the new longer cars. Because of the 100% curved station, today’s subway car-doors don’t even get close to the platform. Below are my photos mixed in with originals from the US National Archives.
Postcard. Old City Hall Station, NYC.
Today. Visiting with 15 other urban explorers. Old City Hall station closed since 1949. (Jim Cutler)
Stairs Leading to Rotunda – today
1947 – Stairs leading from platform up to Mezzanine – (US National Archives)
October 27th, 1904 – Old City Hall Station – Ceremonial Opening – Mayor George B. McClellan operates the first train using a silver Tiffany controller.
Closed since 1949, This is how it looks today – Old City Hall Station, NYC
1949 – Right side of Old City Hall Station NYC shown 4 years after closing (US National Archives)
Postcard – Old CIty Hall Station, NYC
Today. Old City Hall Station, NYC. (jim cutler)
I won’t give away too many wonderful details about the architecture, the masonry, wonderful arches, original brass fixtures, skylights, the amazing story behind how it was built and who designed it. For that, please join the NYC MTA Transit Museum. (http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/) It’s well worth it and admission supports the great work of the Transit Museum. This is a wonderful experience for urban explorers. Special thanks to Luz at the Museum.
1930 – Mezzanine with oak panel Change booths up the stairs from the platform – (US National Archives)
The ticket rotunda today. The wooden ticket booths were removed long ago. (jim cutler)
Mezzanine in 1946. The station had been closed permanently the year before. The ticket booths dismantled. (US National Archives)
Fifteen of us in the ticket rotunda. (jim cutler)
Arched roof of the ticket rotunda. (jim cutler)
1946 – The left side of the platform. By 1945, the station and it’s curved track was closed. (US National Archives)
The left side of the Old City hall Station – today. The curved platform design would doom the station. (jim cutler)
Notice the huge gap between the platform and the train doors due to the all curved design. Several trains pass thru on a turnaround loop, but they haven’t stopped here in 67 years. This train is in motion passing though. The special train that brought us here featured a long gangplank to get us over the gap. (jim cutler)
Today – One more look at the detail in the mezzanine ceiling and skylight. (jim cutler)
Connecting stairs from the mezzanine down to the platform. Old City Hall Station. (jim cutler)
1948 – Arch above stairs leading from the platform up to the mezzanine. Old City Hall Station, NYC (US National Archives)
Today – Arch above stairs leading from the platform up to the mezzanine. Old City Hall Station, NYC (jim cutler)
Today – Notice these two smudge marks I have circled in red in my photo, appear in the 1947 photo below! (jim cutler)
1947 – Notice the two smudge marks I have circled with red in in this 1947 photo, appear in my photo from this year, above. (This black and white image from US National Archives)
The station map. The newer nearby Brooklyn Bridge station also doomed the Old City Hall Station.
TODAY’S VIDEO VLOG: Of BEAVERTAILS, BLIZZARDS and COFFEE (Vlog#25)
BY JIM AND DAWN CUTLER
Mike and Mike Cover our Rotting Shark
By Jim Cutler
I didn’t know this happened until Josh sent me video he captured off the TV with his phone. ESPN’s Mike and Mike pointed to the time we ate rancid shark in Iceland. Check out that episode here: https://www.jimcutler.com/todays-video-vlog-iceland-part-2-vlog22/
5 Tips to Help Radio Turn Empty Imaging Into Solid Content
by Jim Cutler
A NEW piece I wrote for Jacobs Media that is getting good buzz. Click to read the article on their blog.
